As usual, we both speak in tongue (not that religious kind). Below is a Whatsapp message I sent to my friends in Jul which hits your topic above:
Today realised something truly amazing about SG. There's no animal farm here, yet we have millions of sheep (and its not just the religious variety). It's no wonder more and more self-proclaimed shepherds have come forward to claim their flock, making Shepherding the most lucrative industry in SG. Once a shepherd claims his herd, the herd not only pays itself but also generates huge continuous stream of income for the Shepherd as well. Our SMU should launch a Degree in Shepherding as well as a and Masters in Shepherding to aspiring shepherds here.
What to do? In Singapore, everytime we think of doing something new or different, we are told by big daddy to take up a course... Upgrade this, continue education that... Got Skills Future Credit mah!
The 10 year series mindset is another way saying we should stick to past precedents, follow SOP, and do what others are already doing...
Big daddy has a changed of heart. The old way produces obedient workers; but when it comes to creative and original thinking...
Just look how many "parrots" they are in our community. How many have brought something "unique" or their "own voice" to the table?
I was thinking of general friends MIA for a long time and suddenly ask us for coffee - 99% of the time its to "sell" us something!?
LOL!
Now that's what I call "monetising" a friendship ;)
Although I'm a man of science with a touch of Zen and a dab of Taoism, I have 2 bibles in my study - New Living Translation and Catholic Pastoral Edition.
You hit the sweet spot yet again. Below is a part of a Whatsapp message I sent to friends exactly a week ago which touched on philosophy. It even starts with poetry in motion, lol:
Sitting on my toilet bowl this morning, I entered one of my zen moments as usual and started to contemplate about 人生道理 and the world at large.
And it dawned upon me that nowadays, I've not heard or read or seen anyone mentioning, quoting or practicing the teachings of 孔子 or 孟子 except when I watch Chinese period dramas or historical programs on Nat Geo People or other mainland China channels.
Instead, I noticed many people from all walks of life quoting and practicing 孫子兵法 in their daily life. From the Army regulars, to salesmen, to lawyers, to bankers, to stock market punters. I won't be surprised if housewives and students are already addicted to this ancient art of war as well. People nowadays seem to treat their everyday life as a perpetual War. A war against everyone else where Victory over their perceived competitors (could even be simply their richer neighbor or smarter office colleague) is the Glory and where More Money is the ultimate prize. The quest to amass unlimited amounts of money in one's lifetime has warped society at all levels.
I'm feeling that people are getting into a zombie-state of constantly thinking of how to make even more money. I won't be surprised if even Primary School kids are already thinking of how they would make loads of money when they grow up instead of paying attention to what their teachers are saying in class. But wait -- maybe their teachers are (and I'm thinking maybe only) constantly reminding them to earn as much as possible as young as possible. Hmmm....
Then again, actually these kids are already starting to make money the very day they were born -- they have this CPF Account where the government and parents constantly pour in more cash so that these children would be able to retire perhaps the moment they finish school. I have read from blogs where parents actually boast how their constant top-ups into their baby's/kid's CPF plus the compounding interests will enable the child to have a million dollars in his CPF account by a certain age.
People are now caught in a vicious money cycle. Their constant aim to earn even more money feeds the never-ending escalation of prices which comes back to haunt them again and again. Because they'll need to constantly earn even more to keep up with escalating price increases which was caused by themselves in the first place. It's like a dog chasing it's own tail --- it's an impossible task, so the dog could never stop.
(I fear for my safety with every comment that I post here. I might even have to seek Fatty Kim's protection service to fend off the mob. Lol.)
No prizes to guess which of the 4 groups I belong to ;)
I can talk, can write, read people, and in touch with the feminie side of me... LOL!
I think its true! US already had their first "women" President in Bill Clinton!
That being said, I noticed I can be quite like "Steve Jobs" in the way I poke people in blogoshpere... Its what "ambitious" women have gone through too...
We acquire the traits of the alpha male to "armour" ourselves in the corporate world.
I still use this "acquired" personality trait.
The people I poked the hardest are the ones I respect the most ;)
You are in luck again. I'm sticking my neck out to post a Whatsapp meg that I sent to my frds just hours ago. It's about love in the feathered world:
It suddenly dawns on me that all these philosophical messages that I sent out are likely to be as effective as a Black Swan trying to convince a flock of Birds of Paradise (BoP) that beauty is only in the eye of the beholder. Lol
It's not by chance that I selected Bird of Paradise and Black Swan in my analogy. I'm sure most people (likely nearly all) do not know that male BoP spend their entire life preening their captivating plumage and perfecting their courtship moves just to attract females to have s**. Just s**. Nothing else matters to them.
Even more amazing is that every female BoP look like a terrible Plain Jane, in fact even more ugly than Black Swans. Yet, all male BoP spend their entire life trying to attract them for s**. Stupid right?
Actually, female BoP are even more stupid than the male BoP. They spend their entire life searching for the handsomest male BoP to impregnate them. Female BoP bring up her kids on her own till they are grown up and leave the nest for good. And that's the cue for the mother BoP to immediately search for another handsome male BoP to impregnate her again. And thus, the female BoP's life turns in this vicious cycle.
In essence, male BoP simply s** away their life. While female BoP simply labour away their life.
The Black Swan tells the male BoP: "Life is much much more than just s**". The Black Swan also tells the female BoP: "Life is much much more than labouring your entire life away". Meanwhile, the Black Swan though ugly but graceful, continues to enjoy every minute of his life, savouring his surroundings and all that the world offers.
How are you any different from those Financial Freedom "Indian Chiefs" who go round telling everyone they must invest for their retirement NOW! Cash is rotting at the banks!!!
Yet these are the very same people nursing painful unrealised losses with their portfolios...
Or over enthusiatic "evangelists" who pissed off more people than they convert?
Just live a GOOD and HAPPY life.
People with holes in their hearts will be drawn naturally to you; asking for answers... You got their listening ears now ;)
Those who are living equally fulfilling lives may also come to say hello or poke you - as fellow journeymen; not followers ;)
Marketing creates the PULL.
Salesmanship takes care of the PUSH.
I a snake-oil that prefers to fish without a bait like "Jiang Tai Kong".
How am I different? I don't tell or advise anyone what they should do or must do in their life. Even when people ask me for advise on anything, I'll only tell them all the available options and their pros and cons based on my own knowledge and perceptions. It's their own responsibility to consolidate all the information that they can obtain from all sources and then make an informed decision themselves. This has always been one of my key principles in life. Similarly, whatever I post online only tell of my own perception of things and my experiences in life --- no one need to emulate me.
I've kept myself private, never posted anything in the internet till about 2 years ago. I'm only opening myself to the online world now because I'm looking to know people with similar thinking and passion who I can talk with and have activities with without ending up feeling frustrated instead. But finding people who share an eclectic range of principles, ethos, thinking, hobbies and passion similar to mine in SG has so far been elusive and possibly an impossible endeavour.
I find a perennial issue with people is that somehow everything every casual sentence almost always ends up being associated with love and sex. I don't like to even like to hug people nor even handshake. And I won't initiate hug nor handshake under any circumstances, regardless at work nor social activity.
Different ppl have different views. Views exchanges will make ppl have new prespectives in life. That's the beauty of view exchanges for ppl with open minds. And mutual respect.
A special shout-out and thanks to Patty!
ReplyDeleteI've been stealing with pride for years from his Facebook page.
This post is another example.
I know I'm shamelss.
What to do? Patty got class and culture mah!
Love is but a figment of our own imagination.
ReplyDeleteLaurence,
DeleteTo some people, love is about enabling. Letting your love ones decide for themselves ;)
To some others, its about telling them what to do (its for their own good). And planning everything out for them :(
I think I'll make a good hippy - minus the "pharmaceutical enhancements" of course!
SMOL,
DeleteAs usual, we both speak in tongue (not that religious kind). Below is a Whatsapp message I sent to my friends in Jul which hits your topic above:
Today realised something truly amazing about SG. There's no animal farm here, yet we have millions of sheep (and its not just the religious variety). It's no wonder more and more self-proclaimed shepherds have come forward to claim their flock, making Shepherding the most lucrative industry in SG. Once a shepherd claims his herd, the herd not only pays itself but also generates huge continuous stream of income for the Shepherd as well. Our SMU should launch a Degree in Shepherding as well as a and Masters in Shepherding to aspiring shepherds here.
Laurence,
DeleteFree start a blog leh.
Then I can go troll and poke you.
There must be something we can disagree on :)
What to do? In Singapore, everytime we think of doing something new or different, we are told by big daddy to take up a course... Upgrade this, continue education that... Got Skills Future Credit mah!
The 10 year series mindset is another way saying we should stick to past precedents, follow SOP, and do what others are already doing...
Big daddy has a changed of heart. The old way produces obedient workers; but when it comes to creative and original thinking...
Just look how many "parrots" they are in our community. How many have brought something "unique" or their "own voice" to the table?
Hi SMOL,
ReplyDeleteWhat is love?
Love is when our MIA friend contacts you to........
Wait, that healthcare stock drop liao. Mai tu liao! Whack ah! ;)
Unintelligent Nerd,
DeleteThat's not love... That's "monetising" a friendship ;)
I've learnt that low can go much much lower...
And high can go a lot higher!?
Don't use "auto"; switch to semi-auto.
Have you tried auto on our AR-15 rifle (your time maybe a new rifle)?
A 30 round clip can be emptied pretty quick!
LOL!
Hi SMOL,
DeleteNo no no. Not that love. Referring to a more encompassing sort of love.
I think we wrong frequency here, LOL.
You sure got kena his bromance. Next time......talk healthcare stock to divert topic. XD
Unintelligent Nerd,
DeleteOh! You meant "that" MIA friend ;)
I was thinking of general friends MIA for a long time and suddenly ask us for coffee - 99% of the time its to "sell" us something!?
LOL!
Now that's what I call "monetising" a friendship ;)
Although I'm a man of science with a touch of Zen and a dab of Taoism, I have 2 bibles in my study - New Living Translation and Catholic Pastoral Edition.
I don't divert. I engage :)
SMOL,
ReplyDeleteLove can be simple or complicated. Most of the time, the second one applies.
Ben
Ben,
DeleteWhen we LIKE a flower, we just pluck it.
But when we LOVE a flower, we just water it daily.
We want to possess, accumulate, manipulate, and control... That's the "complicated" part...
Eh. I think we not only can start a poetry club at this watering hole, we can also launch a philosophy society!
SMOL,
DeleteYou hit the sweet spot yet again. Below is a part of a Whatsapp message I sent to friends exactly a week ago which touched on philosophy. It even starts with poetry in motion, lol:
Sitting on my toilet bowl this morning, I entered one of my zen moments as usual and started to contemplate about 人生道理 and the world at large.
And it dawned upon me that nowadays, I've not heard or read or seen anyone mentioning, quoting or practicing the teachings of 孔子 or 孟子 except when I watch Chinese period dramas or historical programs on Nat Geo People or other mainland China channels.
Instead, I noticed many people from all walks of life quoting and practicing 孫子兵法 in their daily life. From the Army regulars, to salesmen, to lawyers, to bankers, to stock market punters. I won't be surprised if housewives and students are already addicted to this ancient art of war as well. People nowadays seem to treat their everyday life as a perpetual War. A war against everyone else where Victory over their perceived competitors (could even be simply their richer neighbor or smarter office colleague) is the Glory and where More Money is the ultimate prize. The quest to amass unlimited amounts of money in one's lifetime has warped society at all levels.
I'm feeling that people are getting into a zombie-state of constantly thinking of how to make even more money. I won't be surprised if even Primary School kids are already thinking of how they would make loads of money when they grow up instead of paying attention to what their teachers are saying in class. But wait -- maybe their teachers are (and I'm thinking maybe only) constantly reminding them to earn as much as possible as young as possible. Hmmm....
Then again, actually these kids are already starting to make money the very day they were born -- they have this CPF Account where the government and parents constantly pour in more cash so that these children would be able to retire perhaps the moment they finish school. I have read from blogs where parents actually boast how their constant top-ups into their baby's/kid's CPF plus the compounding interests will enable the child to have a million dollars in his CPF account by a certain age.
People are now caught in a vicious money cycle. Their constant aim to earn even more money feeds the never-ending escalation of prices which comes back to haunt them again and again. Because they'll need to constantly earn even more to keep up with escalating price increases which was caused by themselves in the first place. It's like a dog chasing it's own tail --- it's an impossible task, so the dog could never stop.
(I fear for my safety with every comment that I post here. I might even have to seek Fatty Kim's protection service to fend off the mob. Lol.)
Hi lawerence,
DeleteI think more people talk about Sunzi than 孔孟。i agree. But look at those who practice it's essence and not it's form.
Just like there are many people who practice the religion at its form. If we crystallize the essence of 孔孟-仁 and 孫子-奇。
i would think more people in Singapore practice 孔孟 essence
Laurence,
DeleteMay I suggest a brown paper bag over the head?
LOL!
Smol,
ReplyDeleteLet me try... my definition is
Rational, unsolicited, unrequited kindness
I think that the simplicity will make life more at ease.
DeletePeople tend to make it more complicated. Cham!
Ben
Sillyinvestor,
DeleteSay what you said about love to a girl and see if will give you a kiss!?
Love is when I'm with her, I've no clue where the time went?
And when she's not with me, time is excruciatingly slow...
Love is the warmth of her hand in my pocket.
The touch of her lips on my ear.
I can go on but everyone will shout, "Get a room!"
Ben,
DeleteYes. Actions are a lot simpler than words:
Mom making coffee for me every morning.
I'll know she's angry with me when there's no coffee in the morning!
LOL!
Aihuh!
ReplyDeleteSmol! Finally a chance to poke! Yes! That is lust, u say love wor
Sillyinvestor,
DeleteYou brain "kotor"!
LOL!
temperament,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the video! Had fun watching it.
No prizes to guess which of the 4 groups I belong to ;)
I can talk, can write, read people, and in touch with the feminie side of me... LOL!
I think its true! US already had their first "women" President in Bill Clinton!
That being said, I noticed I can be quite like "Steve Jobs" in the way I poke people in blogoshpere... Its what "ambitious" women have gone through too...
We acquire the traits of the alpha male to "armour" ourselves in the corporate world.
I still use this "acquired" personality trait.
The people I poked the hardest are the ones I respect the most ;)
SMOL,
ReplyDeleteYou are in luck again. I'm sticking my neck out to post a Whatsapp meg that I sent to my frds just hours ago. It's about love in the feathered world:
It suddenly dawns on me that all these philosophical messages that I sent out are likely to be as effective as a Black Swan trying to convince a flock of Birds of Paradise (BoP) that beauty is only in the eye of the beholder. Lol
It's not by chance that I selected Bird of Paradise and Black Swan in my analogy. I'm sure most people (likely nearly all) do not know that male BoP spend their entire life preening their captivating plumage and perfecting their courtship moves just to attract females to have s**. Just s**. Nothing else matters to them.
Even more amazing is that every female BoP look like a terrible Plain Jane, in fact even more ugly than Black Swans. Yet, all male BoP spend their entire life trying to attract them for s**. Stupid right?
Actually, female BoP are even more stupid than the male BoP. They spend their entire life searching for the handsomest male BoP to impregnate them. Female BoP bring up her kids on her own till they are grown up and leave the nest for good. And that's the cue for the mother BoP to immediately search for another handsome male BoP to impregnate her again. And thus, the female BoP's life turns in this vicious cycle.
In essence, male BoP simply s** away their life. While female BoP simply labour away their life.
The Black Swan tells the male BoP: "Life is much much more than just s**". The Black Swan also tells the female BoP: "Life is much much more than labouring your entire life away". Meanwhile, the Black Swan though ugly but graceful, continues to enjoy every minute of his life, savouring his surroundings and all that the world offers.
Anyone here feel like a BoP in life?
Hi SMOL,
ReplyDeleteYou not alpha male lah. You more unique than that. You sigma male ;)
Anytime can don on alpha traits and make fellow alphas chua sai.
Aiyo. I delta male :(
Common-place, boring, gong kia, beast of burden. Oh wait, if I realize that, does that mean I'm not a delta male? Hope so.
Smol,
ReplyDeleteWhat if "kotor" my dialect limited lei
Sillyinvestor,
DeleteLife is fair afterall :)
Your China powderful, but your Malaysia weak...
Kotor means dirty in Malay ;)
I describing tenderness romantic love... Lust your head!
LOL!
Unintelligent Nerd,
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely not Type-A Alpha Male - the CEO types.
But to survive in the corporate world, I can put on my armour and face mask to melee, where needed.
You wouldn't like me in the corporate world unless you are "land owner" or a strong "shepherd".
When asked what type of people I don't like to work with, I answer, "Stupid people."
I'm not one to suffer fools.
Without mask and armour, I'm just a clown ;)
(I poke to see how people react in the name of fun!)
Laurence,
ReplyDeleteGood! Finally can poke you!!!
How are you any different from those Financial Freedom "Indian Chiefs" who go round telling everyone they must invest for their retirement NOW! Cash is rotting at the banks!!!
Yet these are the very same people nursing painful unrealised losses with their portfolios...
Or over enthusiatic "evangelists" who pissed off more people than they convert?
Just live a GOOD and HAPPY life.
People with holes in their hearts will be drawn naturally to you; asking for answers... You got their listening ears now ;)
Those who are living equally fulfilling lives may also come to say hello or poke you - as fellow journeymen; not followers ;)
Marketing creates the PULL.
Salesmanship takes care of the PUSH.
I a snake-oil that prefers to fish without a bait like "Jiang Tai Kong".
Although a cup of kopi would be appreciated ;)
How am I different? I don't tell or advise anyone what they should do or must do in their life. Even when people ask me for advise on anything, I'll only tell them all the available options and their pros and cons based on my own knowledge and perceptions. It's their own responsibility to consolidate all the information that they can obtain from all sources and then make an informed decision themselves. This has always been one of my key principles in life. Similarly, whatever I post online only tell of my own perception of things and my experiences in life --- no one need to emulate me.
ReplyDeleteI've kept myself private, never posted anything in the internet till about 2 years ago. I'm only opening myself to the online world now because I'm looking to know people with similar thinking and passion who I can talk with and have activities with without ending up feeling frustrated instead. But finding people who share an eclectic range of principles, ethos, thinking, hobbies and passion similar to mine in SG has so far been elusive and possibly an impossible endeavour.
Laurence,
ReplyDelete;)
Touche!
Eh. You guy I guy. Don't expect me to give you a hug OK?
I may be in touch with my feminine side, but I still like women :)
Just so you know in case you invite me out and we ended up in "Blue Lagoon" (Must watch Police Academy to know).
LOL!
I find a perennial issue with people is that somehow everything every casual sentence almost always ends up being associated with love and sex.
ReplyDeleteI don't like to even like to hug people nor even handshake. And I won't initiate hug nor handshake under any circumstances, regardless at work nor social activity.
Anyway, I shall end such topics here.
Laurence,
ReplyDeleteNow we know something more about you ;)
Cheers!
Different ppl have different views. Views exchanges will make ppl have new prespectives in life. That's the beauty of view exchanges for ppl with open minds. And mutual respect.
ReplyDeleteBen
Ben,
DeleteThat's the fun and attractiveness of this watering hole!
Without the diversity of opinions and personalities, I don't think anyone will even bother engaging with one another here ;)
I blog to RECEIVE!
SMOL,
DeleteThat's the beauty of sharing amongst ppl with different views. Nametaste to all!
Ben